Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6 Days

Cash only, no exceptions: the Tunnel of Hope museum in Sarajevo, one of the single most important stops on this trip, will not take a card. Bring convertible marks (KM) or you’re turning around halfway there.

Day 1: Sarajevo

Land, drop your bags, and go straight into Baščaršija before the tour groups descend. This old Ottoman quarter is compact enough to wander without a map, and the copper workshops still hammering out coffee pots by hand are worth ten minutes just to watch. Gazi Husrev-bey’s Mosque is one of the finest surviving Ottoman-era mosques in the Balkans, and Latin Bridge, where Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 set off the chain of events leading to the First World War, is a five-minute walk from the mosque. My opinion after doing this walk in both August and November: skip the summer crowds and come in shoulder season if you have any flexibility, since Baščaršija in peak July heat is shoulder-to-shoulder with day-trippers.

Book a table for a proper Bosnian coffee, served with rahat lokum and a small glass of water, at one of the traditional cafes rather than the espresso bars catering to tourists; you’ll know you’re in the right place if the coffee arrives in a copper džezva.

Day 2: Sarajevo to Mostar via Kravice Falls

Skip renting a car for this leg if you can and take the train instead. The ŽFBH line runs two departures daily, 07:15 and 16:49, takes about two hours, and costs roughly 14 KM, which is both cheaper and more scenic than the bus. If you want to see Kravice Waterfall en route, though, you’ll need a car or an organized tour, since the train doesn’t stop there and the local bus only runs on weekdays for commuters, not tourists. Entry to Kravice is 20 KM (about 10 euros) from April to October and free in the off season, and it’s free year-round after 8pm if you’re staying nearby. The pools are genuinely swimmable in summer, so bring a swimsuit rather than just a camera.

In Mostar, walk Stari Most, the rebuilt Old Bridge, at least twice, once during the day for the postcard shot and once after the tour buses clear out in the evening, when the stone glows under the streetlights and you can actually hear the river. Try ćevapi from a family-run grill rather than the first restaurant with a laminated English menu; the good places are usually the ones with a line of locals outside at lunchtime.

Day 3: Mostar

Blagaj Tekija, the Sufi monastery built into the cliff face at the source of the Buna River, is one of the most photogenic religious sites in the country and deserves an unhurried morning rather than a rushed hour. Dress modestly since it’s an active place of worship. Kriva Ćuprija, the smaller stone bridge that predates Stari Most, gets a fraction of the visitors and is a nice five-minute detour if you want a quieter photo without the crowds.

Day 4: Mostar to Sutjeska National Park

Correct your expectations here: this is a two-hour drive, not the quick hop some older guides suggest, covering roughly 120 kilometers on winding mountain roads through Gacko. It’s worth every minute. Sutjeska is home to Perućica, one of the last two primeval forests left in Europe, and the Tjentište hub puts you about 30 minutes from the reserve entrance. Trnovačko Lake, a glacial lake near the Montenegro border, is a longer detour but rewards hikers with genuinely alpine scenery that looks more like the Dolomites than the Balkans.

Day 5: Sutjeska National Park

Spend the day inside Perućica if you arranged a permit and guide in advance; independent access to the strict nature reserve is restricted, and going with a licensed ranger is both required and worthwhile for spotting the old-growth beech and fir that give the forest its reputation. If a full hike isn’t your pace, the marked trails around Tjentište and the WWII memorial there make for an easier half-day with plenty of history attached, since this valley was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Yugoslav Partisan campaign.

Day 6: Return to Sarajevo

Head back into the city and go straight to the Tunnel of Hope, the surviving stretch of the tunnel dug under the airport runway that kept Sarajevo supplied during the 1990s siege. It’s a short visit, 45 to 60 minutes including the documentary, entry is 20 KM cash, and it’s roughly 15 minutes by taxi from downtown, about 8 to 10 euros each way. Follow it with the Museum of the History of Bosnia and Herzegovina if you want more context, then spend your last hours back in Baščaršija picking up copperware or a proper fildžan coffee set rather than the generic magnets sold near Latin Bridge.

Visa and practical notes

Most nationalities, including EU, UK, US, and Canadian passport holders, get 90 visa-free days within a 180-day window, but check your specific country’s status before booking since this can change. Fly into Sarajevo International Airport; a rental car gives you flexibility for the Sutjeska leg, but the Sarajevo-Mostar train is genuinely better than driving that particular stretch. Carry small denominations of convertible marks everywhere, since rural cafes, the war tunnel museum, and most parking machines don’t take cards, and ATMs can be sparse once you’re outside the two main cities.